Bluefin
135 S Main St
Memphis, TN
(901) 528-1010
Cuisine:
Fusion, Eclectic, Casual dining
Circa by John Bragg
119 S Main St, Ste 100
Memphis, TN
(901) 522-1488
Cuisine:
Contemporary American, Global, International
Hot Doug's, Inc.
3324 N California Ave
Chicago, IL
(773) 348-0326
Cuisine:
Hot Dogs, American
Portillo's Hot Dogs
100 W Ontario St
Chicago, IL
(312) 587-8910
Cuisine:
Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Fast Food
National Coney Island
31095 Harper Ave
St Clair Shores, MI
(586) 294-7380
Cuisine:
Breakfast, American, Fast Food
November 30, 2008
Better fast food.
Bustling girls greet you with a smile and a “sit anywhere”. A broad spectrum of diners are tucked into the clean booths. The menu is filled with typical greek fast food. (coneys, salads, pitas, and rice pudding) Also, a variety of breakfast fare. (eggs, pancakes, etc.)
Overall a pleasant place to grab a quick diner bite. The taste is merely filling and only slightly original,
Dishes I tried:
hani
Crispy bland fried chicken breast tucked inside a pita loaf with a yucky piece of american cheese, mayo, lettuce , and tomato. Mostly dry and filling.
baby greek salad
Fresh iceberg lettuce topped with tangy feta cheese, pickled beet slices, red onion rings, and kalamata olives. Ohhh and a lovely toasted pita loaf. I could eat this every day!
Blueberry Pancakes
Warm eggy pancakes with loads of juicy blueberries. The only downfall is the log cabin syrup.
coney special
A soft white bun filled with a crisp skin hot dog, topped with slightly spicy chili, dry meat blend, knock you over white onions, and yellow mustard. I wish this chili was sweeter. I always add ketchup. Good mouth feel and flavor blend after the addition.
rice pudding
Creamy milk based rice pudding. Simple.
Harvest Moon Cafe
5484 W Michigan Ave
Ypsilanti, MI
(734) 434-8100
Cuisine:
Breakfast, Brunch
June 4, 2008
Cozy breakfast/brunch on the edge of civilization
Located where 23 meets 94 I was expecting trucker food. Boy was I stunned! This cafe actually has outdoor tables!!! and wine!!! If you are breezing by stop in here for a light lunch or leisurely breakfast. The menu offers typical cakes and eggs and exotic mediterranean skillets. All things baked goods are made here as are the soups. There is a farm mural covering one wall and a modern lodge theme throughout. The waitstaff is super friendly and attentive. Really a beautiful spot to help break up any drive.
Dishes I tried:
beef barley soup
Velvety rich bits of beef in a not too salty broth accompanied by tender pearls of barley. Really, if you get nothing else get this soup!
rice pudding
A mountainous helping of rice smothered in creamy heaven, topped with cinnamon and whipped cream.
raisin bread french toast
Homemade raisin bread and perfectly crisped eggy goodness. Served with warm syrup.
Jasmine Thai & China Bistro
447 E Michigan Ave
Saline, MI
(734) 429-9798
Cuisine:
Romantic, Chinese, Thai
May 18, 2008
More than just carry out
This little gem is in a strip mall tucked between a hardware store and a yoga place. I was surprized the moment I walked in the door. Instead of the traditional paper lanterns and gumball machines I was greeted by a huge saltwater fish tank with tiny little starfish. My 2yo son said, “this is so bootifuwl”. Polished cherrywood lanterns, teak elephants, and jade dragons astounded us. The menu is humorous and well thought out. The servers are friendly. The kitchen is somewhat slow. Still, they have great hot tea for sipping and enjoying your company. I would recommend this for a romantic date or relaxed friend evening. The prices were comparable to fast and dirty chinese carry-out, as were the portion sizes.
Dishes I tried:
Spicy Beef and Scallops
This ROCKS! Melt in your mouth beef and scallops in a slightly salty brown sauce with scallions, onions, and thai chilies. Very hot but addictively so.
empress chicken
Egg battered chicken, carrot slices, tired broccoli. Not a great dish. More the greasy mall take-out type.
Thai iced tea
Smoky sweet black thai tea in a tall glass with crushed ice, heavy cream, and an orchid garnish. Beautiful presentation. This was like a rich dessert.
Jasmine hot tea
Delivered table side in a cast iron kettle. Very flavorful, was like sitting on the porch mid summer next to the jasmine plant.
May 17, 2008
Butter burgers, Frozen custard, and cheese curds OH MY!
What is a butter burger? As best as I can tell it is fresh real beef seared on a grill. The taste is awesome. I would eat a patty by itself here. What goes better with a butter burger than crispy batter dipped onion rings? Perhaps, cheese curds! Cheese curds are little salty bits of herbed crumb battered cheese. For the grand finale get a concrete mixer. Creamy, coat the tongue frozen custard with about any mix-in you can imagine.
Other points of interest,
They have a big screen tv (sound off) tuned to the latest sport event.
The bathrooms are super clean.
Things to avoid… salads. I’ve had better at Wendy’s. Also, the chicken salad. Unless of course you like tiny chicken bits floating in about a jar of mayo.
Overall, Culver’s is what I would call a premium fast food chain.
Dishes I tried:
mushroom swiss burger
Huge delicious beef patties stuck together with sharp aged swiss and sauteed mushrooms. On a cornmeal topped bun with an elegant pickle slice.
fried cod fish dinner
Beer battered cod with not too much breading, better than average fast food mashed potatoes, and somewhat rubbery green beans.
Turtle concrete mixer
The pecans were salty and fresh. The custard was awesome as usual. The end result was a bit runny. I think the salt from the nuts and the caramel and chocolate syrup was just too goopy.
Cheese curds
Nuggets of firm, salty, cheese under a crust of bread crumbs and herbs. Eat these suckers HOT!
The Original Pancake House
20273 Mack Ave
Grosse Pointe Woods, MI
(313) 884-4144
Cuisine:
Breakfast, Brunch, American
May 15, 2008
20 min. for a pancake?... it's absolutely worth it.
You are greeted by a pig in chef gear. The rest of the decor is similar, bunnies in carriages, tin trains, roosters. A cozy entry amongst bustling servers. We were promptly seated with graham crackers and crayons for my son. The kids menu was smallish. French toast, pancakes, or eggs. Really though what child is not going to choose chocolate chip pancakes. So my husband and I order a german pancake and an omelette. We are informed of a 20 min. wait for those items… no problem we can wait for perfection. Overall the meal was fabulous, the only down side was the mediocre coffee. Original Pancake house brand coffee is just coffee. While they may not make superb coffee they know eggs. Also, this location is open til 9pm.
Dishes I tried:
dutch baby fruit bowl
If you are a mad scientist or food re-arranger this is the dish for you. An over the plate edge sized oven pancake is accompanied by lemon wedges, whipped butter, powdered sugar, strawberries (or bananas), and strawberry syrup. Traditionally I melt the butter, squeeze the lemon, dissolve the sugar, add fruit, then cover in syrup. The end result is a mouthful of warm custardy tart fruit delight. YUM!
Sante Fe omelette
A massive 8-10 egg omelette with onion, tomato, cilantro, and gooey aged cheddar cheese. Served with a side of medium salsa and two pancakes. Whenever I want sweet and salty I go for this combo.

so_she_says
06/07/2008i want to run out and get some rice pudding right now.